House: Ali's Return
by Ravenclaw992
Summary: Ali returns and asks House for help when her fiance falls ill. Cameron also comes back and House begins to rediscover his feelings for her. Now, he must figure out Ali's mysterious case and the reason for Cameron's return before it's too late. R&R!
1. In Need of a Doctor

Disclaimer: I do not own House M.D. (even though it is my favorite show) nor do I own any of its characters, places, or other ideas.

A/N: So, this is my second House story (the first one is called "House's Christmas Carol"; check it out). This is kind of like a "what if" idea that I decided to use. I don't know if some of you remember her, but Ali is a character that appeared in two episodes of House in the third season: **Informed Consent, and Lines in the Sand. **

She was the girl who was attracted to House, called him ten thousand times at the hospital and gave him a calendar that said "6 months and counting..." until her 18th birthday. She had spores in her brain due to an earthquake (I believe it was in California). Anyway, I wondered what would happen if she showed up again in one of the recent seasons (mind you, I haven't watched the latest season of House, so Thirteen will be there and Amber Tamblyn (don't know her name on the show) will not. So, that being said, here is my new House story featuring Ali and her ill fiance...enjoy! By the way, this is a short chapter just to give you the traditional House insight on what is wrong with the patient before House actually comes in (I wanted to make it feel like an episode of House).

**House: Ali's Return**

**Chapter One: In Need of a Doctor**

Ali awoke at seven-thirty just like she did every morning. Her fiance, James, lay beside her in bed-snoring obnoxiously with his dark hair covering his face in an untidy mess of curls on the pillow-and was oblivious to her padding across the room. Sunlight filtered in through the blinds and the smell of coffee was already reaching her nose. It seemed like every other day in her life.

Trying to keep as quiet as possible, she began her morning routine of showering for twenty minutes, raking a brush through her matted brown hair afterwards, and checking on her fiance one more time before descending the stairs to the kitchen. Ali opened the fridge and took out some ingredients so she could make breakfast; her stomach was already growling and complaining. A sudden chirping filled the room and she quickly opened her cell phone to see that she had a new text message. It was from a very good friend and she sighed as she closed the phone. _You know I can't get away today, not when it's James's day off,_ she thought.

It had been a while since James had a good day off and the two of them spent some time alone together. The preparations for the wedding were driving her up the wall and she still hadn't fully told her family about it. Her father had passed away only a year and a half ago due to heart troubles. Her mother was always fighting with her about something, whether it be her choice of hairstyle, furniture, or not stopping by enough times to keep up with the dozens of family issues. Still, it was a nice day so far and Ali didn't want to ruin it by thinking about her disagreeable mother.

There was a soft creaking on the stairs and suddenly James was there, stumbling through the kitchen with a sleepy look on his face. She had to admit, he looked so cute when he was only minutes awake. Somehow, he had been more attentive than usual, for he stared at her phone with a confused expression.

"Who was that?" His voice sounded groggy and Ali handed him a fresh glass of orange juice. He gulped it down and put on a warm smile for her.

"Oh, nobody. Just one of the girls asking if I wanted to go out with them tonight," Ali replied while she deliberately avoided James's eyes. She knew she was a poor liar to begin with and her eyes always gave her away. James shrugged carelessly as he downed the last drop of the orange juice.

"You should go out tonight. I think you're starting to get gray hairs from worrying about the wedding," he joked with her, spinning his hands lightly through her still damp hair. She playfully pushed him aside and set some breakfast on the table for him; whole grain cereal with a cup of Greek yogurt. If it was one thing James was good at, it was maintaining good form even in the winter.

"Maybe next time I'll go. You know I have to meet with the wedding planner again today," she answered him seriously. James was halfway through swallowing a spoonful of yogurt when it happened. He choked up the yogurt fiercely and abruptly stood up with his hands around his throat. Ali rushed over to him, but did little to actually help him. Her mouth was wide as she watched him slump to the floor, his lips turning blue.

Ali hurriedly grabbed her cell phone and dialed 9-1-1. A no-nonsense voice came over the phone and asked her what her emergency was. A memory from a long time ago rose to the surface of her mind and the first person she thought of was Dr. House. Ali began yelling uncontrollably into the phone. "My fiance needs a doctor! I need House, now!"

…

So, what do you guys think so far? You'll just have to wait to see what happens next...until then, some reviews would be nice and I'd love to hear what my readers think of this first chapter (don't worry, I have tons of plans coming. Some of them involve House and Cuddy while others involve Cameron...but I'm not nice enough to give any good details yet!).


	2. Return

Disclaimer: I do not own House M.D. or any of its characters, places, or other relative ideas. The only thing I own is the plot of this story.

A/N: First off, I want to thank **AllyCameron **and **ladyyuuki16 **for reviewing my first chapter and for giving me such good feedback. By the way, I'm more of a House/Cameron kind of person so there won't be much House/Cuddy besides the occasional attention that House always gives Cuddy. That being said, I hope every reader here enjoys the next chapter; it should be interesting!

Chapter Two: Return

House walked into the main lobby of the hospital an hour late, like he usually did. He gripped his cane tightly as he reluctantly started for the elevator, only stopping once to gaze pointedly at one of the nurses. He spotted Thirteen leaning against the desk and he sighed. She rushed up to him and immediately handed him a case file. He stared at it for a moment and then continued on his way.

"House, you have a new case," she said to him, trying to force the case file in his hands.

"Really? And here I figured that was the new edition of the Playboy magazine that you're desperately trying to hand me," he answered sarcastically, earning a serious glare from Thirteen. She rolled her eyes and opened the case file herself.

"It's a girl named Ali. Apparently she knows you," Thirteen informed House in an amused voice. House stopped to recall any girls named Ali and came up empty. Thirteen was watching him expectantly, as if she thought he would fill her in on this mysterious girl. He shrugged carelessly.

"Is she a stripper?" Thirteen's eyes went wide in surprise, taken aback by House's question. Her eyes dropped to the case file and they skimmed the page for a minute.

"No. She's had a couple odd jobs and now she's landed a job as an office secretary. She's had the job for about a couple weeks," Thirteen explained, her eyes fixed on the page in front of her. House jabbed at the elevator button no less than twenty times, impatient for the elevator. Thirteen smirked at the button, but ignored his behavior otherwise.

"Hmmm...a secretary. Still might be interesting," House commented as the floor numbers illuminated one by one. The elevator stopped two floors above and House knocked his cane against the elevator doors.

"The elevator will come, you know. Anyway, it's not her that's ill. Her fiance stopped breathing this morning and she called 9-1-1 asking for you," she explained, once again holding out the case file towards him. The elevator doors opened and House hurriedly stepped inside. Thirteen followed him inside and gave him a warning glance.

"Where is she?" The doors closed and the elevator shifted as it ascended. Cheap, annoying music filled the elevator.

"She's waiting outside your office. We tried to get her to stay with her fiance but she refused," Thirteen said.

"And your best idea was to leave her standing outside my office?" House gave Thirteen a stern look as the doors slowly creaked open. Down the hallway, House could see a young woman leaning against the wall outside his office with her arms crossed. She had dark brown hair and an extremely slim figure. House had to admit he didn't recognize her. Cuddy was there with her hands on her hips, clearly trying to reason with the girl.

"It's about time you got here," Cuddy told him as he reached his office door. Thirteen slid past him and into the office. The girl turned to him excitedly with a bright smile on her pretty face. He gazed intently at her face and felt a wave of déjà vu wash over him.

"Hello, House," the girl greeted him warmly. Cuddy was watching the exchange suspiciously with her lips pursed.

"Do I know you?" House kept his eyes on the girl, attempting to place her but he found it difficult. Her smile faltered a bit as if he had hurt her feelings by not remembering her.

"You don't remember me? Six months and counting, remember?" Suddenly it clicked in House's mind. He recalled the calendar that had been left on his desk years ago from a girl who had been increasingly attracted to him due to an illness. He pictured Ali then, with golden tanned skin and light blonde hair, wearing low-riding jeans and tops that emphasized her chest. Now, she wore a thin jacket over a long sleeve shirt and she had dyed her hair some time ago; her darker roots were showing in an obvious way.

"Ali," he said, her face lighting up. "I take it you're eighteen," he said, much to Cuddy's displeasure. Ali didn't seem to notice at all.

"Yeah, finally," she replied in a sultry voice. House smiled down at her and then felt his eyes drop just a little bit.

"So...are those looking as good as the last time I examined them?" He was motioning his head to her chest and Ali laughed nervously.

"Better, I think," she answered. Cuddy threw her hands in the air and walked away. House watched her as she turned the corner and disappeared.

"Don't mind her. She's PMSing; you know how that can be," House said before pushing the door to his office open. Thirteen was sitting at the table with the case file open. Foreman was making coffee and Chase was playing with the large tennis ball that usually sat on House's desk. House went over and took it away from him. "Nobody touches my ball but me," he stated. Chase gave him a shocked look, but decided not to push it this early.

"Uh...who's the girl?" Foreman pointed to Ali, who was mere inches behind House. She waved with little effort and bit her lip.

"That's Ali. We go way back," House said as he limped across the room to his white board. "Where's Taub?" House glanced around at his team members and Thirteen was the only one to raise her head.

"He's busy taking care of the clinic duty that you've been neglecting," she explained. Ali leaned against the table and was blocking Thirteen's view. She gave her an irritated look. "Umm...do you mind? I really don't think you should be here," she addressed Ali, who gave her a blank look. Ali glanced towards House, obviously waiting for him to throw her out.

"Sometimes she forgets that it's my office and not hers. I just think she's jealous," House said in response, making Ali laugh again. Thirteen pouted her lips at House and gestured to Ali when her back was turned.

"Seriously, you can't be here," Chase intervened. Ali gazed around the room and then picked herself up from the table angrily. She tossed one more suggestive smile at House and then left the office. House glared at his team members.

"Good job ruining my fun," House murmured irritably as he finally accepted the case file. He read through the pages and was unimpressed by what he was seeing. Behind him, the office door reopened and he assumed it was Taub, done with House's clinic duty. "It's about time you got here," he called out-mimicking Cuddy's words-without looking up.

"House," a light female voice came from the doorway. It was a voice that House had heard every day for a consecutive three years. He swiftly turned and met the eyes of the woman filling his doorway. His mouth dropped as he studied the woman up and down, already forgetting about this latest case. It was Cameron.

…

Ooh...cliffhanger. Don't you guys hate those? Good things are coming up, but I can't tell you just what yet. You'll just have to review for now and wait for the next chapter! (= Reviews are loved and they help a ton!


	3. Cameron

Disclaimer: I do not own House M.D. or any of its characters, places, or other relative ideas. I wish I did, but I do not.

A/N: The reviews that I have received so far are really good! I especially want to thank **Lunschen, nath452, and Cangel girl** for their reviews during the last chapter. Now, here is the next chapter and I hope everyone enjoys it.

Chapter Three: Cameron

Cameron stood in the doorway, wearing a familiar serious expression on her face, her eyes trained on House. The last time he had seen Cameron, she had been standing in almost the same exact position and she had told him that she had loved both him and Chase. She had also said she was leaving and since then Cameron was nowhere to be found. Now, she was there as if nothing had happened. Her hair was a few shades darker and she had clearly lost a lot of weight, making her appear ten times thinner than what she had been before. Other than that, everything was the same.

Chase and Foreman were staring at her as though they thought she was a hallucination. House slowly regained his composure and closed his mouth. He avoided Cameron's gaze while Chase got to his feet and approached Cameron.

"Cameron," he greeted her and put his arms on her shoulders. It was as if he were testing it out, seeing if she was really there. Cameron gave him a small smile and forced Chase's arms from her shoulders. She moved into the room, glancing around at the office that she had known years ago.

"Are you looking to get your job back?" House asked Cameron bluntly while focusing his eyes on the empty whiteboard in front of him. He gripped his cane even tighter and he could have sworn he felt the start of a deep throbbing in his leg.

"Not from you," she answered coolly. "I just stopped by to let you know that I was back. That way you could hear it from me and not from Cuddy," she said. She crossed her arms and waited for his response. Chase looked from House to Cameron and returned to the chair he had been occupying.

"Thanks for the notice. Now, if you don't mind my team and I have a new case," he replied, trying to give her the hint that she should leave. Behind him, Thirteen dropped her eyes to the case file again, her lips tight and disapproving. Foreman shook his head at House, who either didn't notice or didn't care. He could still feel Cameron's presence behind him and was impatient for her to get the hint. "That means leave," he clarified for her.

"You haven't changed, House," she told him. He finally faced her, wondering what he would see on her face. There was amusement and a little bit of wonder, but mostly there was longing, especially in her eyes.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" When it came to Cameron, he knew her emotions often got the better of her. Despite that fact, it was difficult to directly pin down her view of a situation. He waited for her to give him one of her emotional, opinionated lectures, but she simply shook her head and headed for the door. Before she left, she turned once to meet his eyes.

"What do you think?" With that, Cameron hurried from the room, leaving no trace or proof that she had been there.

…

"Alright, what causes a person to stop breathing so dramatically?" House was pacing in front of the board like he usually did, racking his brains for the genius idea that would provide an answer to the case. His team members lounged in their chairs; Thirteen with her head in her hands, Foreman sifting through the file while sipping his coffee, and Chase with a pen in his mouth and a dull expression.

House stopped in front of Chase and slapped his cane loudly against the table, causing Chase to jump a mile in his seat. "I know it's traumatizing having your ex-wife walk back into your life again, but for the sake of our patient, wake up! I need you to do your job, not have your head where nobody else can see it," House criticized Chase angrily.

"Give me a break. I haven't seen Cameron in almost a year," he pointed out. He glanced at the others for help, but no one offered support. Foreman laughed to himself, clearly enjoying the whole scenario.

"It's still not an excuse. Besides, you were the one who messed it up between you and Cameron," Foreman said, flipping one of the pages of the file. "As for the patient, maybe he choked on his breakfast." Thirteen glared at Foreman.

"How exactly do you choke on yogurt?" She questioned him. Foreman didn't answer and Thirteen took that to mean she made her point. "It could be something as simple as an allergic reaction," she suggested. House began pacing again and wondered where Taub was; it had been an hour since he had entered his office and they had nothing to go on yet.

"The file says he only has an allergic reaction to pollen and penicillin," Foreman read from the file. Chase still hadn't said anything since Cameron's surprise appearance and House felt ready to target his head with his cane.

"It can't be pollen that set off the lack of breathing. It's winter," Chase argued. House breathed a sigh of relief as Chase finally joined the discussion.

"Chase happens to be right...for now. In any case, an allergic reaction to pollen is too simple. If he ingested penicillin..." House's voice trailed off, expecting his team members to follow his line of thinking. It took a long minute before Thirteen spoke up.

"It seems unlikely that he could have had penicillin in his system. Unless Ali was giving it to him, of course. But, she had to know that her fiancé is allergic to penicillin," Thirteen reasoned. House paused as he thought about something she said.

"Are you implying that Ali might have given him penicillin on purpose?" House's tone seemed to suggest that he thought this was ridiculous. Thirteen narrowed her eyes.

"We can't just dismiss it. If he had penicillin in his system, then perhaps that's what caused his breathing to stop, regardless of how it got there," she said. Chase nodded slowly, his eyes unfocused as if he were slipping into space again. House stared at the whiteboard—empty except for the word "penicillin" which he had written alongside a question mark.

"Fine. Run a tox screen on him and see if there are any remaining traces of penicillin in his system," he ordered his team. The group immediately rose from their chairs just as Taub came into the office. House glared at him and the others ignored him as they left.

"You're late," he informed Taub. He shrugged carelessly in response as he read what was on the white board.

"Penicillin? That's what we came up with?" Taub had doubt written on his face. House walked away into the other smaller section of his office. He threw the case file on his desk.

"That's what _we_ came up with. _You _were busy doing clinic duty," he reminded Taub. "Don't you have the guts to stand up to Cuddy yet or is that just me?" Taub shrugged again, not wanting to have this conversation.

"No, it's just you," Taub replied, earning a warning look from House.

"They're doing a tox screen on the patient," House said, turning away towards his desk. Silence filled the room, but there were no retreating footsteps. He turned back around to see Taub standing there, looking at him expectantly. "Why are you still here?" House demanded. Taub moved toward the exit and House was finally alone in his office.

He lowered himself into his chair and tossed his tennis ball up and down in the air, thinking. After a few minutes in silence, House dropped the ball on his desk and walked out of the room. He suddenly felt like he needed to talk to Wilson.

…

Wilson's office door was closed tight, which probably meant he was dealing with a patient. _Or he knows I'm coming and wants to get rid of me,_ House figured as he tried the door handle. Locked. Instead of returning to his office, he pressed his shoulder against the door. In one quick motion, he swung back and forced all his body weight against the door, breaking the lock.

The door blew open and Wilson jumped out of his chair. A young woman—she appeared to be around the age of twenty—was sitting opposite him with her hands clenched tight and tears streaming down her face. Wilson glanced from House to his broken door handle with his mouth open in surprise.

"Whoops," House said as he limped into the room. The woman watched the two of them in shock.

"What was so important that it required breaking open my office door?" Wilson asked House, still eyeing the door. House stopped a few feet away from the woman and leaned down to her.

"Sorry. You have cancer, but you're not going to die today. So get out," House told her. The woman brushed the tears from her face and looked to Wilson. He reluctantly gestured to the door and the woman picked up her things to leave. House waited until he heard the door somewhat close behind her and dropped down onto the couch. "Cameron's back," he stated, not mincing words.

"I know. She came to my office early this morning to tell me she was here," Wilson said as he took the seat next to House. He stared at House sympathetically.

"Wait, she came to you before she came to me?" House gazed at Wilson in disbelief. He twirled his cane in his fingers, almost hitting Wilson in the process.

"Maybe she assumed I would be more understanding out of the two of us. And of course she's right," Wilson admitted. House stopped spinning his cane and stared curiously at Wilson.

"So, you know why she's back?" House felt anticipation run through him, but it dropped slightly when he saw Wilson's expression become tense.

"No...but out of the two of us, I'm the one who will respect her reasons for returning, whatever they may be," Wilson said, getting up from the chair. House smirked at him.

"Oh, you are too nice for your own good," he told Wilson, laughing. "Maybe it's because...she's trying to convince Cuddy to give her her job back," House thought out loud. Wilson gave him a doubtful look.

"No, that's not it and you know it's not. You're just hoping to avoid thinking about what the real reason might be. The last time she saw you, she told you she loved you and then walked out of your life, reinforcing your miserable personality," Wilson lectured House as he always did in these situations. "So, really, you're avoiding thinking about the possibility that she might still love you," he concluded.

"She didn't come back for me," House automatically dismissed the theory. Years ago, he had figured out that Cameron had a liking towards him and he had agreed once to go on a date with her. Still, that was years ago and her emotions had seemed indifferent towards him up until that last moment in his office. Wilson held up his hands in a way that said he intended to back off.

"You know, House, maybe that's just what you're afraid of," Wilson told him before leaving him alone in his office. He sat there for a long time, thinking about what he could do about Cameron. He wasn't sure why she was back, but he swore he would find out some way, somehow.

…

I think this chapter was longer than my last one! I hope the readers enjoyed it and leave good reviews for me; they always help to give me the inspiration I need to write another good chapter. (=


	4. Questions Without Answers

Disclaimer: I do not own House M.D. or any of its characters, places, or other relative ideas.

A/N: Wow, those reviews were completely awe-inspiring! I want to thank **AllyCameron, SusanPevensie394, and Lunschen** for your support! I hope you continue to read, no matter what. (=

Chapter 4: Questions Without Answers

House's team finished the tox screen on Ali's fiance and now waited for the results to come back. Chase had managed to come out of his trance to help with the tox screen and Taub showed up ten minutes after the team started the test, muttering something about House.

"So, what do you think about Cameron returning?" Thirteen broke the silence, her question aimed at Foreman. She drummed her fingers on a nearby table. Chase stiffened beside her, apparently wanting to avoid the subject. Foreman simply shrugged.

"It's Cameron's business. She obviously has a good reason for coming back," Foreman said.

"Cameron can do whatever she wants," Chase commented, retrieving the results of the tox screen. Taub gave him a serious look.

"You're not curious why your wife has suddenly showed up again?" Taub's voice was filled with doubt as he speculated Chase. "What do the results show?" The group dropped the subject of Cameron and huddled together, viewing the results.

"There's no trace of penicillin. Obviously, House was wrong," Chase said with a slight hint of gratitude. Thirteen smirked at him.

"We were wrong. We were the ones who came up with the explanation of penicillin, not House. What's that small spot right there?" Thirteen motioned to a small, hazy blob that appeared on one of the images of the tox screen. Foreman waved his hand in dismissal.

"Probably the yogurt. It's definitely not penicillin," he stated, turning away from the group. Thirteen sighed and decided not to question the strange marking. _It's probably just a mistake,_ she figured as the group exited the room and headed towards House's office, preparing to tell him they were wrong.

…

House marched into Cuddy's office without warning and knocked his cane against her desk. She had her phone cradled between her shoulder and her ear and she gave him a warning glance before ending her conversation.

"What is your problem today, House?" She sat back in her chair, waiting to hear some ridiculous story along with some ridiculous demand.

"Well, first, that top is way too revealing for your taste," House pointed out, gesturing to her low-neck shirt. Instinctively, she dropped her eyes to examine it and then gave him an irritated look. "Second, if you're going to take your anger out on me because I don't do clinic duty, at least spare my team members," he said, his voice rising significantly. Cuddy appeared unfazed by his tone; instead she just rolled her eyes.

"You hate doing clinic duty and you've made that very clear. I needed someone to fill in and so I got Taub to do it in your place," she explained. Of course, House wasn't finished.

"I need my team members—even Chase—in order to solve this patient's case. I won't accept any less," he demanded, causing Cuddy to laugh out in amusement.

"Unless you do clinic duty, I have no choice. By the way, you broke Wilson's door open because-?"

"I needed to talk to Wilson and his door was locked," House said, as if his explanation was completely acceptable. Cuddy stared at him, not knowing what to say in response to that.

"And that gave you the go-ahead to break open his door? The money for that door is coming from your paycheck," she informed him. "As for your team members, do the clinic duty and they won't have to spontaneously disappear from time to time," she said before dropping her eyes to the paperwork on her desk. House knew she meant to dismiss him, but he wasn't done yet.

"I needed to talk to Wilson about Cameron. She showed up in my office this morning, shortly after Ali," he told her, expecting her to be surprised. Cuddy kept her eyes on the paperwork and nodded.

"I know. She came to me first early this morning," she said. House stared at her for a long minute.

"So, why is she here?" He didn't think Cuddy would keep it a secret, but she pursed her lips.

"Sorry, she's asked me not to tell anyone about her reasons," she stated. House felt annoyance course through his body at Cuddy's refusal to share the information.

"Reasons? As in plural? As in more than one?" House thought about the types of reasons that would bring Cameron back here, the least one being him. Cuddy stayed silent and House finally turned toward the door. "I'll do clinic duty, but only for two hours," he reluctantly agreed. Cuddy accepted his offer and he left her office, having more questions than answers.

…

House entered his office and immediately came face to face with his team, each one appearing worried and ready to bear bad news. _I knew it,_ he thought as he made his way to the whiteboard.

"Let me guess. You guys were wrong," he predicted. The dismal looks on their faces told him all he needed to know. Taking an eraser, he hastily diminished the word "penicillin".

"The tox screen was negative for penicillin," Thirteen confirmed loudly. House gazed at her, making it clear that it was already obvious. "We should try examining his throat," she suggested. Foreman shook his head in disagreement and Chase seemed to be thinking hard. House focused on Chase and glared at him.

"What do you think?" Chase glanced around at his team members blankly. "Don't look at them, look at me," House ordered harshly.

"Um...I agree with Thirteen," he said awkwardly.

"Why?" The question seemed to take Chase off guard and Foreman shook his head again, like he had expected this to happen.

"Well...there could be irritation or swelling in his throat that we haven't yet noticed," Chase offered. Thirteen was staring at the floor, her cheeks red as if the scene were embarrassing her. House glared at Chase for one more moment and then nodded.

"Go examine his throat. Tell me if you find anything. I'll be in examination room one," he stated, leaving his office. He started for the clinic, taking his time all the while.

…

"So, I've been having difficulty keeping anything down for a while. And I have some swelling around my stomach," a young woman told House. She was a plain woman with blond hair that badly needed dying and a nasal voice that went through House's head. She was sitting on an exam room table and House was gazing at her like she was the most simple-minded person in the world. "Also, I've been throwing up a little," she added while House rubbed his temples. He swore he could feel a migraine coming on just by listening to this woman. "And I've had these sudden mood swings—"

"You're pregnant," House interrupted her. The woman stared back at him like she didn't comprehend what he said.

"That's not possible. The last time I had slept with someone was three months ago," she said. House's mouth dropped open but no words came.

"When was the last time you had your period?" He already knew the answer, he just wanted to hear her say it and get it through her head. She considered the question and counted on her fingers.

"About...three months," she admitted, realization dawning on her face. She dropped her eyes to her belly, which slightly had a telltale bump. "Oh," she murmured. House sighed and got up to leave. "Wait, what do I do now?" House stopped with his hand on the doorknob and felt like he might lose his sense of control.

"Well, either you have the kid or you get rid of it. It has nothing to do with me," he said as he ducked out of the room into the hallway. He breathed a sigh of relief as he exited the clinic. _I hate clinic duty..._

…

Thirteen stood next to the hospital bed, guiding a tube down James's throat. Taub was next to her, watching the images on the screen in front of them, showing the inside of the patient's throat. Foreman and Chase were positioned at the end of the hospital bed while Ali paced the room nervously.

"How long is this going to take?" Ali halted in her steps and leaned closer to her fiance's body.

"Please step back. It could be bad for your fiance if you interrupt us," Taub told her. She gave him a look of annoyance and carefully stepped back. Foreman watched her as she took out a bottle of water, but didn't take a sip of it.

"There's a little bit of swelling there," Thirteen pointed out, motioning to the monitor. Taub narrowed his eyes at the screen and noticed the irregular irritation.

"At least you were right about that," he said to Thirteen, who simply nodded once. She began pulling the tube out and James involuntary gagged. "Careful," Taub instructed. Thirteen retracted the tube from James's mouth, but still he kept gagging.

"It's not because of the tube," Foreman stated, moving closer to Thirteen's side. Ali jumped up in worry as each of them tried to figure out what was causing James's distress. Suddenly, his eyes opened wide and he gripped Thirteen's arm tightly.

"Burning. It's...burning," he gasped before dropping limply to the bed. Thirteen couldn't move her eyes away and the first markings of a bruise were forming on her wrist. The monitor came to life and beeped loudly, which meant James's heart was stopping.

The cart of supplies was brought in by a nurse and Thirteen readied the paddles. She placed them against James's chest and sent a shock through his entire body. The line on the monitor was still flat and she made another attempt. Ali was yelling at the team members before being dragged out of the room by two nurses. Thirteen shocked James again and his heart rate bounced back up again. She breathed a sigh of relief and gazed at her fellow team members.

"Well, we found the swelling. Whatever this is, it's already getting out of control," she said before eyeing the bruise on her now swollen wrist.

…

So, that's the chapter and I'm looking forward to hearing what you guys think about it. (= Hopefully, I'll have the next chapter up soon!


	5. Complications

Disclaimer: I do not own House M.D. or any of its characters, places, or other relative ideas. It is my favorite show, but I do not have any claim over it while writing this story.

A/N: Woah, those reviews are building up with each passing chapter and they never fail to give me the motivation I need. Thanks especially to **Nat, SusanPevensie394, and AllyCameron**; your support means the world to me! Enjoy this next chapter!

Chapter 5: Complications

House and his team sat miserably in his office, staring at the whiteboard. His mind kept wandering to Cameron and he figured he should speak to her himself since no one else wanted to give him information. Thirteen clicked her nails impatiently against the surface of the table and Foreman shot her an irritated look.

"Stop doing that," House ordered just as Foreman opened his mouth. Thirteen's fingers stopped instantly and she pulled her hand back from the table. "Why don't start talking about the patient?" House motioned his cane to the whiteboard.

"All we have to go on is the swelling in his throat and cardiac arrest. It could be any number of possibilities," Thirteen said. Chase stood up suddenly and revealed a frustrated expression. House eyed him like a hawk eyeing its next meal.

"How about you? Any ideas?" Chase spun around, taken aback by House's unexpected attention.

"Why do you keep targeting me?" Chase glared at him and House glared back; it was their own kind of staring contest.

"Because you haven't been 'here' since Cameron walked through those doors. I'm still waiting for you to do your job," he criticized Chase sternly. Chase combed his fingers through his hair.

"I gave you the idea of checking for swelling in the patient's throat," Chase argued hopelessly. House gave him a look of disbelief.

"That was Thirteen's idea to examine his throat, not yours. The only reason you pointed that out was because I pushed you. So give me something now," House demanded, slapping his cane against the whiteboard.

"We could...run an MRI on him," Chase suggested. Thirteen crossed her arms and Foreman got up to make himself another cup of coffee, a clear expression of amusement on his face. Taub had been silent the whole time, looking between House and Chase carefully. House stared at Chase for a long time and then turned away to the whiteboard.

"Go do the MRI, see if you can find anything," he said while his team members stood up to leave. He waited until they were gone and grabbed a cup of Foreman's coffee. He had to admit: he and Foreman didn't always see eye to eye, but he made good coffee.

…

Cameron was standing in the cafeteria line with a tray in her hands. She had taken a salad, some fruit, and a small dessert for herself. Her mind was swarming with images of Chase and House; the whole day had been entirely difficult and stressful. Even Cuddy had been sympathetic, which just made her feel worse. She had made Cuddy swear that she wouldn't tell anyone why she was here. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw House approaching and she cursed herself. _Not now, please not now..._

"Hello, House," she reluctantly greeted him. He looked unusually tense and she should know; she had worked with him for years before she left. He didn't smile at her. He was too busy studying her food choices.

"You know, you should try something...not so healthy," he told her, making a face at her salad. She rolled her eyes and couldn't help but smile.

"And this is healthy?" She pointed to the small pie she had put on her tray. House picked up his own tray and took a slice of pizza, a bag of chips, and a slightly larger pie than Cameron's. "I'm assuming you're here because you want to know why I returned," she said, coming up to the register. The man glanced at both Cameron and House's trays.

"Is this all together?" The man gestured between the two trays and House moved in front of Cameron.

"Actually...yes it is," he told the man and headed straight for a table, leaving Cameron to pay the large bill. After paying, she joined House at a small booth in the corner. "So, are you going to tell me why you're here?" He tore open the bag of chips and began eating. Cameron concentrated on fixing her salad the way she wanted it instead of meeting House's eyes.

"No," she said, taking a small bite of her salad. House stopped eating and gazed at her.

"That means I'll just have to guess," he said, already almost finished with his chips. Cameron froze in her seat. She should have known House would do something like this and she was terrible at lying to House. _Here we go,_ she thought, waiting for him to start firing questions. "You're here because you want your job back," House stated confidently. Cameron shook her head.

"That's not it," she said. It was half true; she didn't really want her job back, but she feared she might need it soon. She hadn't yet brought it up with Cuddy, though. House's eyes narrowed as he caught a small measure of lie in her tone. He dismissed it and continued questioning her.

"Is it about Chase?" He took a large bite of his pizza and accidentally left sauce at the corner of his mouth. He wiped it off with a napkin, never moving his eyes from hers.

"Nope," she answered. Her voice had shaken a little and House certainly caught it this time. He smiled cunningly at her and dropped his napkin on his tray. He leaned towards her a little.

"Is it something to do with me?" Cameron stared at him and felt her heart ache a little. She still recalled the time when she had gone on a date with House and the time she had kissed him in his office. Even though it was years ago, those memories still caused a tight feeling in her throat.

"House, I'm not telling you why I'm here. I'm not ready to talk about it," she finally stated, hoping he'd let go of the subject. Of course, she knew House better than that. He smiled triumphantly at her.

"A-ha! You don't want to answer the question because it does in fact have something to do with me," he exclaimed, making half the people in the room turn to look at them. Cameron blushed a little and gazed at House sadly. Standing up from her seat, she emptied her tray into a nearby trash bucket and only glanced at House once as she turned to leave.

"Sorry, House. You'll just have to keep guessing," she told him, making a beeline for the cafeteria doors. House sat back in his seat and finished his slice of pizza, all the while glorifying in the fact that he had hit a nerve with Cameron.

…

Thirteen and Foreman settled James on the table, preparing him for the MRI. He had talked to them out of nervousness, telling them how he was happy with Ali and had wanted to marry her for a long time. He waved his hand to Ali before the table moved into the machine.

"This will only take a few minutes," Taub informed Ali, who stood beside his chair in the control room. Chase was focusing on the screens as the MRI did its job while Thirteen and Foreman took their seats. Thirteen smiled warmly at Ali and studied the monitor.

"I hope everything will be okay," Ali said, glancing at House's team members. "Where's House?" She had always found it strange that House never saw his patients, even though he treated them. Foreman spun his chair around to face her.

"House almost never visits his patients. Sorry," he said to her before turning back to the monitor. "Just a few more minutes," he spoke into a microphone so James could hear him.

"I don't see anything out of the ordinary," Chase confirmed. Thirteen nodded and Ali bit down on her lip.

"Why doesn't House like to see his patients?" Ali interrupted again and Taub gave her a strained look.

"House isn't actually fond of his patients. Usually he just likes the challenge of solving a case," he explained. Ali nodded and grew silent again.

"Well, what about me? House and I have had a few moments before," she hinted to the team. They all slowly turned to face her with incredulous expressions.

"Ali, you were sick when you thought you were attracted to House. It doesn't mean he actually likes you," Chase told her, much to her disappointment. Ali mouthed the word "oh" and slumped against the back wall. Chase exchanged looks with Thirteen and went back to watching the monitor.

"What about your fiance? You're supposed to be worrying about him," Taub stated, trying to get through to Ali. Her eyes lit up as though she just remembered she had a fiance.

"Oh, of course I'm worrying about him. I just...think House is a wonderful doctor," she said. Taub's face filled with doubt as he dismissed her words. The test ended and Thirteen followed Foreman out into the main room. They helped set the table back to its previous spot and lifted James up. He got to his legs and then his face went blank. He glanced down at his feet with confusion.

"What's wrong?" Thirteen was holding him up by his waist. Foreman gazed down at James' feet, wondering the same thing. James looked back up at Thirteen, his face full of fright.

"My legs are tingling. They feel funny," he said. Thirteen and Foreman easily released James to examine his legs and he crashed to the floor like a puppet without strings. They dove for him as Ali rushed out of the room, demanding to know what was wrong with her fiance. Thirteen looked at her in shock, unable to answer her efficiently.

"I don't know," she finally admitted. Each of them glanced at one another, increasingly afraid for their patient's life.

…

Uh-oh...this is getting tense! Thank you again for all the reviews and I'm glad you guys are enjoying it. Don't worry, I plan to put in more House/Cameron moments. You'll just have to be patient! (=


	6. Supposed Solution

Disclaimer: I do not own House M.D. or any of its characters, places, or other relative ideas.

A/N: As always, I want to start by thanking my reviewers, especially Nat, SusanPevensie394, walk65, and AllyCameron. Your feedback motivates me so much and as a result, these chapters are being written up amazingly quick! (=

And to walk65: that is an interesting way to look at Ali's situation; I've never thought of it that way before. Now that I think about it, House actually did seem sarcastic in that scene, kind of like how he sounds when he's telling someone a believable lie. I think your review just gave me a huge spark of inspiration! Thank you! =D And I must tell the rest of you that your reviews made me smile so much, especially since I have been really sick during the past few days. Seriously, what would I do without my readers?

Chapter 6: Supposed Solution

Chase picked up a black marker and wrote the words "tingling" and "weakness" on House's whiteboard under the other listed symptoms. Thirteen and Foreman had brought James back to his hospital room and Taub was leaning against the table, concentrating on the two new words. House entered the office and the first thing he did was take the marker from Chase.

"Haven't I told you before? No one touches my markers," House said, glaring at Chase. He read the two new words while Thirteen and Foreman quietly walked in, taking their seats. "Okay, so the patient feels tingly and has weakness. Weakness where?" He turned to face his team members with a grave expression.

"He has leg weakness," Foreman offered. "He could barely stand without our support." House nodded and considered the new information.

"So what causes tingling and leg weakness along with swelling in his throat and cardiac arrest?" He was simply thinking aloud like he usually did when trying to solve a difficult question, and he was surprised to hear Chase's voice.

"It could be Guillain-Barre Syndrome," Chase suggested. House spun to face him with a curious look. He opened his mouth to argue, but Chase clearly wasn't having it. "It explains everything. It explains the tingling sensation and the leg weakness. It even covers the breathing difficulties," he explained carefully. Thirteen, Foreman, and Taub were staring at him in awe.

"Yes, there's breathing difficulties. But it doesn't exactly cover swelling," House debated, not wanting to accept that Chase might be right.

"It's the closest answer we've got. You said I should start doing my job. Now, I am," Chase told him. House's eyes widened at Chase's confidence and had no choice but to give it a try.

"Get the fiance ready for treatment," House ordered his team members. "We'll see if Chase is right. If he isn't...we'll just have to keep guessing."

"Where are you going?" Taub had aimed the question at House. He ignored the question and moved past his team members.

"I'm going to torment Cameron," House yelled over his shoulder, already close to the elevator. Chase was smiling contently as he followed the other members of the team, proud that he finally did something right.

…

The door to examination room two swung open, causing Cameron to look over her shoulder. Her patient—a little girl who kept coughing—raised her eyebrows at the visitor. House stood in the doorway, spinning his cane easily between his fingers. Cameron sighed and went back to talking to the little girl.

"So, you did come to get your job back," House interrupted loudly. He walked into the room and positioned himself in a chair opposite the little girl. She scooted a few inches away on the examination table and Cameron patted her hand.

"No, I told you that wasn't the reason. Cuddy needed some help with clinic duty since some people don't like to do it," she said, emphasizing House's hatred of clinic duty. He gave her an innocent look in return. "You can go, sweetie," she said to the little girl, who eagerly jumped off the examination table and dashed through the door.

"She seemed fine to me," House commented, earning a serious expression from Cameron. "You're just like Wilson; you're both too nice for your own good. Actually, you might be worse than him. Okay, if it isn't the job, then what is it?" Cameron gripped the chart in her hands and glanced at the door. House figured she was thinking about the length of time it would take for her to escape out of the room.

"Sorry, House. I'm not telling," she stated as she headed for the door. House got up from his seat and blocked her way, his back against the door. She gave him a stern look, but he shrugged.

"How about now?" Cameron crossed her arms and waited for him to move or tell her what it would take for him to move. Then again, the only thing that would work was Cameron's reasoning for returning. She was aware that they were only a few inches apart and he was gazing down at her intensely. Her heart began racing, as easily and quickly as it had whenever she was near House.

"Alright, House. You want to know my reasons? Then you have to do something for me first," she stated, taking House by surprise.

"Let me guess. You want me to go on a date with you?" He said it skeptically, but the amused look on Cameron's face washed away every doubt he had.

"That, and don't use the information against me when you hear it," she bargained. House seemed to consider this and then nodded.

"Fine. As long as I get to hear your reasons," he reminded her before moving aside. She stayed near him for a moment longer and smiled.

"Tomorrow night, then," she said. With another small smile, she left through the exam room door and briefly wondered what she had just gotten herself into.

…

Thirteen and Chase were standing outside James's hospital room with Ali, trying to explain the terms of the treatment for his disease. She was staring at them in disbelief as they broke the news to her.

"The most efficient way to treat him is by surgery," Foreman told her. "It's actually very simple. We just remove a portion of his blood bit by bit. Then, we use a special procedure to remove his red and white blood cells so they aren't connected with his plasma," Foreman continued while Ali's face twisted in confusion.

"Then what? Will he be okay?" Thirteen and Foreman exchanged looks.

"Well, after that we would replace his cells in his body without the liquid part of his blood; the body easily replaces that. Then the surgery is complete. However...there's no actual permanent cure for this disease," she informed the girl, who's mouth suddenly dropped open in shock. "We can keep treating him, but that's only to reduce the severity of it, not the disease itself."

"Will he die?" The question popped out of Ali's mouth, even though it was the one question that was indefinitely difficult to answer.

"Not if we start surgery as soon as possible," Foreman said, hoping to get her to understand. Ali thought a moment and then nodded. The two doctors moved into the room, explained the procedure to Ali's fiance and then escorted him to where the surgery would be held. All the while, Thirteen prayed this was the correct answer, at least for the patient's sake.

…

After the unexpected result of his meeting with Cameron, House lingered outside Ali's fiance's room, near the nurses' station. One nurse—a young and attractive woman with dark hair and eyes—eyed House suspiciously as he gazed through the glass doors of the hospital room.

"Hey, I have an idea. Why don't you act like a doctor and go in there?" The nurse leaned toward House and gave him a mocking look. He ignored her and focused on the figure of Ali, sitting in a chair and waiting for her fiance to return from surgery. She looked worried and kept throwing her head into her hands in distress. Wilson approached House and stopped beside him.

"So, anything about Cameron?" House glanced over at him and weighed his options, the heaviest featuring the truth.

"I'm going on a date with her tomorrow night," House revealed. Wilson couldn't hide his surprise; he was almost speechless.

"Wow...this is good. She comes back and after only one day you agree to go out with her. What's the catch?" Wilson knew House well enough to know that there was something else in it for him. Still, he pretended to be offended.

"Why does there always have to be a catch when I want to go out with someone?" Wilson shrugged carelessly and laughed.

"Well, you hate people, for one. You're content to be lonely and miserable and you don't go on dates. There is definitely something in it for you," Wilson concluded, proving his point.

"She said if I take her out, she'll tell me why she returned," House admitted. Two of the nurses turned to look at him and attempted to hide their bouts of laughter. Wilson appeared amused.

"So it's a bargain. You get to spend a night with the girl of your dreams and then learn her secrets in the process," he stated. House glared at him, wishing he was actually busy today.

"Don't you have a dying patient to treat or break sad news to someone?" In the hospital room, Ali began pacing restlessly. She noticed him and smiled brightly, heading for the doorway.

"I don't have a door anymore, remember? Plus, you pushed away my last patient; she called and said she's switching to another hospital where the doctors are not so rude," Wilson said as Ali approached them. "Looks like you might have more than one date. Good luck," Wilson told him as he escaped down a hallway.

"House," Ali called out as she halted within inches of him. She had been quite friendly during the past day and he wasn't sure he entirely trusted her. "I've missed talking to you since you don't visit your patients," she said with a small laugh.

"Sorry. I'm sure one of my team members spread the rumor that I hate my patients," he replied, knowing his team members often took advantage of him not breathing down their necks. Ali's eyes lit up as she neared him and he slid to the left to avoid her.

"It gets so lonely waiting in there by myself. Maybe you could keep me company," she hinted in a less than appropriate tone. House wondered if she was voluntarily acting like this; it reminded him of how she used to act whenever she was around him. She brushed back a long piece of hair that fell into her eyes and leaned beside him, stretching her legs out long and deliberately.

Just then, a young man came up beside Ali and she hastily separated from House. He was tall—at least a head above Ali—and greeted her warmly, wrapping his arms tightly around her. House watched the two of them carefully as the man placed a kiss on Ali's cheek.

"Oh, this is my fiance's friend, Daniel," she introduced the man to House, who looked unimpressed. The man offered his hand, but House refused it. Ali then turned to Daniel and motioned to House. "This is Dr. House. He's the one who's been taking care of James. He is amazing," Ali commented with enthusiasm.

"Looks like you have enough company," House told Ali, her smile dropping instantly. She led her friend away—his arm now draped around her waist—and she only looked back once to smile awkwardly at House. He stared after them and then checked his watch, deciding it was time for him to go home.

…

Good things are coming up soon! Unfortunately, the readers will have to wait until next time (don't worry, you won't be disappointed, I think). Again, thanks for the reviews; they made me feel ten times better!


	7. Finding An Answer

**Disclaimer:** I do not own House M.D. or any of its characters, places, or other relative ideas.

A/N: Yay for another chapter! Thanks again to all those who are reading my story and hopefully you'll enjoy this next chapter. On another note, yay for House and Cameron! (=

Chapter 7: Finding An Answer

After they were given approval by Cuddy to begin the surgery, Thirteen and Foreman escorted their patient to the operating room. It was very cool inside the room; Thirteen noticed that she had goose bumps on her arms before covering them with gloves. She changed quickly into the required uniform and followed Foreman as he settled the patient into the middle of the room.

James glanced up at them with wide eyes, clearly having second thoughts about the surgery. Thirteen tried to put on a warm smile for him as she filled a syringe with an anesthetic.

"You'll just feel a slight pinch and then the anesthetic will kick in," she informed him as she found a vein on his arm. He laughed nervously and closed his eyes, waiting for the medicine to overtake him.

"You know, I'm not exactly a little kid. I'll be fine," he said to her. His voice shook a little and she assumed he was saying it to convince himself. She watched as the rest of the medicine emptied into his vein and she held his hand until it fell limp. She looked across the table to Foreman—who was already positioning a scalpel against James's skin—and nodded. Then, with a slightly quivering hand, Foreman brought the scalpel down to the skin and made the first incision.

…

James felt like he was floating in an endless ocean. Everything was calm and quiet. The only thing he pictured in his mind was Ali and how worried she often looked now that he was ill. His sickness had taken a toll on her, he knew. Still, she had never been one to admit her weaknesses or fears.

Patches of blurry color swarmed over him and slowly the colors began to form into objects. They became clearer until he could make out a white ceiling above his head. The lights were on and they were hurting his eyes. He tried lifting his head, but black spots swam across his vision.

"I think he's waking up," an angelic voice said somewhere close to him. A woman came into view and he recognized her as Ali. Her dark hair was falling around her face in tangled masses and her eyes were filled with concern. He figured the surgery must be over. It seemed like two seconds ago that he fell asleep.

"Hey, welcome back," one of his doctors called down to him. It was that attractive doctor, the one with the bright smile and with a number for her name. He recalled her name as Thirteen. She helped him sit up slowly and the room spun for a minute. "Sorry, you just have to let the rest of the anesthesia wear off," she told him.

"How are you feeling?" One of the other doctors, the young one with the blond hair, asked him. James considered the question for a minute, taking time to stretch his arms and legs.

"I feel better. I think it worked," he exclaimed, causing Ali to show off one of her brilliant smiles. She unscrewed the cap of a water bottle and offered him some. He gratefully took a long swallow, loving the way the water flowed down his throat.

"Great. We'll just have to keep you for a little longer just to make sure. But, if you still seem fine, then maybe we can get you discharged by today," Thirteen stated. It was the best news James; he wanted nothing more than to leave this place with Ali and return home. The doctors moved to check his vital signs and then they left one by one.

"Everything will be back to normal in no time," he assured Ali in a happy tone. For some reason, Ali's smile faltered a bit and it appeared she didn't entirely feel the same way that he did. "What's wrong?" Ali jumped up as though she had been lost in a daydream and attempted to keep up her smile.

"Nothing, everything will be fine," she repeated his words in a solemn voice. "I just can't do this anymore," she murmured, as if she were talking to herself instead of James. He became confused and figured she was talking about his illness. Or maybe it was about Daniel. He had trusted Ali to a point and he knew her well enough to know that sometimes she overstepped her boundaries. Still, they were going to be married soon and he wanted to trust Ali with his life.

"It will be fine, Ali. Trust me; I'll get discharged and we'll go home. We'll get married and everything will work out. Just hang in there," he said to her as she sunk her head in her hands. She picked up the water bottle again and turned it in her hands. "Why don't you drink some water?"

"No, thanks. I'm not thirsty," she explained, placing the water bottle on the bedside table next to his hospital bed. James stared at it for a minute and he was almost sure he had seen a few tiny white specks inside the water. He shook his head and pushed the thought aside. _It's probably just the anesthesia wearing off..._He reached for the water and gripped the bottle in his hand. Without warning, his hand released the bottle and it crashed to the floor, causing Ali to glance up in alarm.

"I can't feel anything," he said to her, his voice rising. She retrieved the water bottle and put it back on the table. She breathed a sigh of relief as she forced a laugh.

"Of course not. The anesthesia hasn't worn off yet," she replied, settling back into her chair. James shook his head insistently at her while he stared at his hands.

"No, I mean I feel...like my legs felt the first time I became weak. My arms feel weak and they're tingling..." His voice drifted off and his face became blank. The monitors screeched angrily as his lips grew pale and Ali ran out of the room screaming for help. Two of House's team members rushed in and began working on him. He had slipped into cardiac arrest again. Foreman gazed at the monitors and then back at Ali.

"What happened?" Her voice filled the entire room and she was demanding for an answer. Foreman exchanged looks with Chase and gazed back at the girl.

"We were wrong...again," he stated miserably as he prepared to shock James's heart.

…

The next morning, House trudged into his office, his mind still trying to wrap around Ali's familiar behavior. His team members were huddled around the table, wearing concerned expressions instead of the relieved expressions he expected. Something had happened and he mentally cursed himself for not anticipating it. He glared at Chase as he neared the white board.

"Looks like someone was wrong," he chastised. "In other news, Ali is having an affair," he stated, earning dubious looks from his team. Thirteen crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows at House.

"Really? She seems happy with her fiancé or is that the reason for your theory?" House moved his eyes from Chase to Thirteen and thought she sounded too much like Wilson.

"She is having an affair...with her fiancé's best friend," he pointed out, as if that would solidify his claims. "Her body language was too friendly and cozy with him, not like the behavior you would actually show your fiancé's best friend," he explained.

"We were wrong about the Guillain-Barre syndrome. He went into cardiac arrest again," Taub interrupted, changing the subject. House turned back to the board and—in large letters—wrote cardiac arrest under the list of symptoms. "Two of us will go to Ali's home and search for anything that could give us an answer," he announced.

"Us?" Chase muttered, obviously confused as to why House was including himself in the conversation. House stared at him and pronounced the word "us" slowly so that Chase could understand.

"In fact, you and I are going, right now," House said as he started for his office door. Chase was still sitting in his chair with his mouth open as though he couldn't believe this was happening. House ducked back into his office and gestured to Chase. "Well, let's go. You were the one who was wrong," he ordered. Chase's expression was unwilling as he stood up and followed House.

…

Ali's home was more exquisite than House assumed it would be. After unlocking the front door—House had found the spare key under the outdoor plant—he stepped inside and took his time glancing around. A large staircase was located nearby and the adjacent room was a grand kitchen big enough to fit thirty people at once.

Instantly, House began opening cupboards and scanning the items, hoping there was something that would give him an answer. Chase headed for the bathroom while House changed his mind and went directly toward the bedroom. It was the size of a hotel suite with one bed against one wall, a plasma screen television, and another private bathroom.

House smoothed his hand over the bed and checked the bedside table; there was nothing there except an old book, a lighter, and a small notepad filled with daily notes of what to pick up from the store. He moved toward the bathroom and one of the floorboards creaked strangely underneath his foot. He carefully knelt down and rapped his knuckles against the wood, hearing a more hollow sound than necessary.

He attempted to lift the floorboard and found that it was easy to open, which meant it had been opened more than a few times. _But for what reason? _He wondered as he peered into the dim space below. There was only one item down there; it was a small bottle filled with a whitish-gray powder. It looked like the powder you would see on powdered doughnuts. He held the bottle in his hand for a long time and thought he had found his answer.

…

So, I'm going to end the chapter there because I'm trying to plan out how I am going to do the rest of my chapters. By the way, I never actually intended for this story to be very long, so we'll see how many chapters I include. Anyway, I'm looking forward to hearing what you guys think! (= By the way, I'm putting off the date between House and Cameron until next chapter.


	8. Date Night

**Disclaimer: **I do not own House M.D. or any of its characters, places, events, or any other relative ideas.

A/N: Okay, so it's almost midnight here and I can barely function, but for some reason I felt like starting my next chapter. For the record, if any of you notice any typos in this chapter, you now know why. Good news: I'm feeling better and I'm pretty sure it mostly resulted from all those good reviews. Keep up the awesome support, readers! Alright, enough of my rambling because it's almost date time for House and Cameron! (=

Chapter 8: Date Night

House pocketed the bottle and replaced the uplifted floorboard, making sure that it was virtually unnoticeable. The sound of footsteps was coming quickly up the stairs and then Chase appeared in the doorway, his face a blank expression.

"There's nothing here," he stated, as if it were no big deal. House took out his cell phone and flipped it open to dial his office number. If he knew his team, he was certain they would be pacing in the office, trying to decide their next course of action. The phone rang three times before Thirteen's calm voice filled House's ear.

"House? Are you almost done at Ali's home because James isn't getting any better—"

"Do another tox screen on our patient," House interrupted her, not bothering to process what she had been saying. If he was right, they would have their confirmation soon enough through that tox screen. Silence buzzed on the other line and he knew she was trying to comprehend his reasons for ordering another test.

"We'll start it immediately," she finally replied. Clearly, she had learned from experience that it was useless to question House when he was onto something. He snapped the phone shut and rose from the floor. Chase was staring at him with his mouth open, confused about House's intentions.

"Did you find something?" His eyes scanned House. After a moment, Chase's eyes dropped to the floor and House wondered if the floorboard showed any sign of having been lifted. But no—Chase shook his head and held up his hands in surrender. "Whatever it is you're thinking, we'll probably know soon enough," he said while heading for the stairs. House nodded once and left the bedroom, closing the door on his way out.

…

The team went through the same mindless routine they did before with the tox screen. Thirteen sighed and stifled a yawn as she leaned against a table. She had gotten little sleep the previous night as she always did when they were working on a tough case. Foreman's face was grim and serious as they waited for the results; she knew he was trying to figure out what House was thinking and perhaps this test was a waste of time.

"We've already done a tox screen on James. What does House think we'll find this time that we didn't find last time?" Foreman complained out loud, causing Taub to roll his eyes behind Foreman's back. Thirteen's lips lifted into a brief smile as she reached for the results. She scanned the page hurriedly and saw nothing alarming at all.

"Nothing. It's the same as last time," she informed her two colleagues, who groaned when their fears were confirmed. Her eyes narrowed as she caught sight of a few small white spots on the image, similar to what she saw last time. _Is it really the machine that's messing up? That can't be a coincidence..._She handed the page to Taub and pointed out the spots. Deep lines appeared in his forehead as he studied it.

"Those are the same spots we saw last time," she explained, gesturing to them with her hand. Foreman nodded beside her. "House should know about this," she suggested, receiving silence from Foreman and Taub. _I'll take that as a 'yes', _she thought as she took back the results from Taub and marched out of the room.

…

The doorbell rang shrilly just before the clock struck seven. House was lying on his couch with his arm draped over his eyes and he was sure he had fallen asleep. Groggily, he sat up as the doorbell chimed again, announcing that he had a visitor. It was then that he remembered his planned date with Cameron and he cursed himself for not anticipating it.

"Alright, alright," he moaned as he struggled to his feet. He swung open the door and there stood Cameron with her hand raised to knock. She awkwardly drew her hand back and she smiled at him. He gaped while he studied her from head to toe.

Her hair was pulled up in a kind of knot with one piece of dark hair swirling down near her face. Her choice of outfit was an off-the-shoulder black dress that accentuated her thin curves and stopped above her knees. On one arm, she was holding a small black bag that was encrusted with silver beads. She stood there, waiting for him to say something.

"You...you look nice," he admitted in a tone that lacked his usual mocking behavior. He stepped aside to let her in and regretted not being as prepared as she was. Then again, all he really wanted from her was the truth, right? Now, he wasn't entirely sure. Cameron left her bag on the couch and roamed around, taking in every sight like a child at a museum.

"Why don't we have a drink first and you can get ready?" She gave him the suggestion and he jumped on it, leading her into the kitchen. He opened the fridge and grabbed the first thing he could find, which happened to be a medium-sized bottle of champagne. He poured two glasses and didn't waste time with pointless small talk.

"So, about you returning..." He allowed his voice to trail off, hoping she would get the hint. She gave him a knowing smile and accepted the glass of champagne, taking two small sips before placing it beside her on the counter.

"Everything has been so...wrong since I left the hospital and Chase," she began, her smile vanishing and the first signs of a deep frown setting in. House downed his glass and poured another hastily. "I transferred to a different hospital and for a while it was wonderful working there," she continued, picking her glass up once and then carelessly replacing it.

"Nothing is ever as perfect as it seems," House commented without meaning to. Cameron nodded enthusiastically along with his words, but never quite met his eyes.

"I was fired from that hospital. I was in charge of a patient and I made the wrong call. I made a mistake," she explained. House wondered if she meant her mistake was in making the wrong call or leaving in the first place.

"What was the mistake?" He voiced his thoughts to her and she shrugged. He drew closer to her, hoping that she wasn't already giving up on telling him her story. She seemed to take comfort in his presence for she leaned towards him.

"My patient was a twenty year old pregnant woman who was giving birth to her baby. Another doctor told me she was having complications and called me onto it. She was close to dying while she was giving birth to her baby and the baby nearly had the cord wrapped around its neck. I knew I couldn't save both of them, so I was forced to make a choice," she told him solemnly. Her eyes had a faraway look as if she were watching that scene in her head instead of talking to House. He grimaced as she grew silent.

"You chose to save the baby," he stated with confidence. Cameron nodded her head and her eyes filled with water. "It wasn't the wrong call. It just wasn't the call they expected you to make," he tried to reason with her. For the first time, Cameron glanced over at him and understanding filled her eyes. "That's why you came back," he dropped the pieces into place.

"I knew I would possibly need my previous job back. But that's not why I returned. Out of all the people that I missed most, I missed you, House," she said to him, taking him by surprise. It was the last thing he had expected and he cursed Wilson for being so right all the time. Now, he understood what Wilson must feel like when he made a right call each and every day. He realized that Cameron was waiting for a response and he decided to reveal his thoughts to her.

"You were married to Chase, but you still said you loved me. You haven't given me a thought since our date all those years ago," he argued against her claim, knowing it might be a losing fight. The corners of her mouth lifted.

"That's not true. I never told you what I was thinking, but you were always on my mind, House. Our relationship may not have worked at all, but it doesn't mean I ever stopped feeling this way for you," she said, her voice rising along with her emotions. He didn't know what to say to her now. There were so few words there, but they yelled so many things. Above all, he figured she must be thinking that her marriage to Chase was a mistake. Just like her job at a hospital that she barely knew or cared for. Cameron brought her hands up to rest against either side of his face and she was looking up into his eyes with an intensity he couldn't ignore. He knew what must be coming next, but he didn't think he would stop her at this point.

"I think...I think I still love you," she whispered as she brought her face up to meet his. Their lips were close to touching when a sudden insistent knocking came from the door. House lifted his head away from Cameron's and gritted his teeth as the knocking echoed through his head. _Whoever it is, I'll kill them,_ he thought as he left Cameron in the kitchen and answered the door.

The visitor wasn't someone he ever expected to see on his doorstep. It was Ali, dressed in a long overcoat with her hair in matted tangles from lack of care over the past two days. She smiled gratefully when she saw him standing there.

"Hi," she greeted him in a low voice. He suspected she must have a good reason for not being by her dying fiancé's bedside. Then again, with what he found in her home, he guessed it wasn't such a surprise to see her without him.

"How did you get here? Did you follow me?" House fired questions at her, not giving her proper time to speak. Her face twisted into a guilty expression, telling him everything he needed to know. She was officially stalking him, and it shocked him that the fact bothered him. "Why are you here?"

"I just had an argument with my fiancé. He confronted me about Daniel and it turned into one huge mess. I just need someone to talk to," she explained, pushing herself into the doorway. He moved to block her path, but she didn't seem to mind. A wide grin was already plastered on her face. At this rate, he was sure she had more than "talking" on her mind.

"Go home. Go to your fiancé's friend's house. Go anywhere but stay away from me," he demanded her. It only seemed to rile her up even more. She allowed one arm of her coat to fall away, revealing only a lacy, red bra strap underneath.

"Oh, please. Don't pretend you don't like it," she murmured in a seductive voice. Without warning, Ali curled one of her arms around House's neck and kissed him.

…

Now, you might seriously hate me for this cliffhanger, but the end is there, everyone! I am exhausted and it is now past midnight, which means I need to go to bed. So, review, review, review, and see what happens next. Ali sure is...interesting, isn't she? /=


	9. The Answer

Disclaimer: I definitely do not own House M.D. or any of its characters, places, or other relative ideas. If I did, I would be the happiest person in the world.

A/N: Thanks so much for all the amazing reviews! Sorry to end that last chapter on a cruel cliffhanger, but then I'm usually one to include such cliffhangers in most of my stories. (= Now then, I think you guys have a new chapter to read! Hope you like it!

Chapter 9: The Answer

"House?" The terribly familiar voice came from close behind House and he frantically pulled away from Ali's grip. She was definitely stronger than she looked for she held on stubbornly for another minute or so. Cameron stood watching the scene with a stunned expression on her face. Not even two minutes ago, House had been about to kiss her and now Ali had burned every chance he had.

"This isn't what it looks like," House argued, blocking Ali from Cameron's view. Even so, she had already seen enough. Without another word, she picked up her bag from the couch and started towards the door, ready to push past House if she had to. He moved to prevent her from passing and he noticed that her eyes were wet, though she was trying desperately to hide it.

"Stop," he said to her, holding her down by the shoulders. She squirmed out of his grip, refusing to meet his eyes. Her lip trembled as she opened her mouth to say something.

"I asked you not to use that information against me. You did anyway," she said, taking House by surprise. He stared down at her intensely, not wanting to let her go. She moved past him and gave Ali a long, empty look. Then, like a brief touch of wind, she was gone. Ali smiled at House, but he ignored her.

"Get out," he demanded of her before shutting the door in her face. He waited with his back pressed against the door until he heard the distinct sound of clicking heels walking away. He tried not to feel anything as the scene replayed in his head. He slowly went to the fridge and took out three bottles of beer that he had stowed in there. He downed every one of them before a half hour passed.

….

Cameron unlocked the door to her apartment and flung her bag carelessly on a nearby table. The first thing she did after that was pour herself a glass of wine and she sipped it while a few tears rolled down her face. The whole night was a mistake.

Her heart ached for House, but he was the last person she wanted to talk to. All he wanted was to know why she returned, right? He had gotten his wish and that was that. She wasn't sure if she'd show up at the hospital the next day. All she wanted to do was erase the memory of that night. She drank three glasses of wine and then collapsed on her bed, still dressed in her black dress. The minute her head hit the pillow, she was asleep.

…..

The next morning, House arrived in his office almost two hours late. He had had quite too much to drink after Cameron left and his head spun wildly. His team was standing impatiently next to the whiteboard, each with a cup of Foreman's coffee. They had better left him some, otherwise he would never stay focused. At this rate, he might even fire someone if there wasn't any of Foreman's coffee left.

"Morning," Thirteen greeted him. "How was your date with Cameron?" The rest of the team members, especially Chase, swiveled around to glance at him. House shot Thirteen a deathly glare that easily said he didn't want to talk about it. He grabbed a cup of coffee and motioned to the tox screen results that were clenched in Chase's hands.

"What do the results tell you?" He figured he was right—hoped he was right. Ali had called him at least five times that morning and now he wanted to be rid of her. It had been fun at first, but now she was overbearing. Chase dropped his eyes and held the results toward House.

"Both times there was a strange marking on the results," Thirteen told him, pointing to the spot. House looked at her as if she were mentally ill.

"Why didn't you tell me when you first saw it?" The team exchanged looks and Foreman cleared his throat, bringing attention to himself.

"At first, we thought it was the equipment that caused the marking," he explained, choosing his words carefully. House gazed at his team members in sheer disbelief. All this time that they had been guessing and the answer had been right in front of them.

"You guys are idiots," he exclaimed loudly. Even his own voice went through his head and caused his headache to increase. "I gave you one job in the beginning: to do a tox screen. And you weren't even looking hard enough," he scolded them.

"What does the marking mean?" Chase spoke up from where he was standing, his arms crossed and his eyes on the results in House's fist. Thirteen bit down on her lip, clearly expecting additional scolding for that question.

"It's arsenic. Usually you can't find it unless you're looking for it. Apparently, the fiance is being treated with an especially large dose," House explained in a strained voice. Thirteen glanced up in surprise as House pulled out a small bottle of white powder from his desk.

"You mean Ali…is poisoning her fiance? Why?" Thirteen couldn't stop the question from bursting out of her mouth. House shook the powder around inside the bottle.

"As I said before, she's having an affair. She had an argument with her fiance last night and showed up at my place," he replied, looking down at the small bottle. "It's perfect. It explains everything. I think it's time to confront her, don't you?" House tossed the bottle to Thirteen and then left his office, his head absolutely pounding.

….

Ali was sitting beside her sleeping fiance's bedside when House walked in. Her eyes grew wide as she noticed him there. A smile grew on her face while she swished around a bottle of water in her hands.

"I know you're poisoning your fiance. I want to know why," House demanded, not willing to mince words with her anymore. Her smile quickly melted away into a deep frown and the swishing stopped.

"How do you know…" Her voice trailed off and he wondered if she was picturing the bottle of arsenic beneath the floor boards of her bedroom. He realized that Ali had kept up a prefect mask until now. That mask of hers was slowly cracking and breaking away.

"I found the arsenic. You put it into his food each morning and it would have been impossible to notice when sprinkled into a cup of yogurt. It's also mixed in with that water that you're holding, which is why you're not drinking it," House speculated, watching her expression carefully. Her eyes became blank as he went on, as if she were imagining a different time.

"It was a mistake. I was caught up in an affair with his best friend and we wanted to be together. But we also needed money. James's comes from a wealthy family and—'

"And you were going to wait until you were married to finish poisoning him. By then, the poison would have caused too much damage and he would have died, leaving you with everything he had," House stated as the pieces clicked together. Water filled Ali's eyes and he knew he was right.

"Yes, but then I found Daniel with someone else and we ended our relationship. I told James about it and even said it was over, but we still had a huge fight…" Her voice faded once more. House knew that was the night she showed up at his front door, the night that everything went wrong with Cameron. "I decided to stop doing it. I didn't think it would be too late," she argued, hopelessly defending herself.

"It's not too late. Without any more arsenic, he'll slowly recover. I'm afraid you won't be around to see that," he told her, hinting the fact that she would probably end up in jail for attempted murder. She seemed to shrink in her chair and her eyes wandered to her ill fiance.

"Does he have to know?" The question came out in a soft whisper, almost so soft that House strained his ears to hear her. A little pity washed over him, but only a little. Then it was gone as he pictured Cameron and her saddened face.

"Not unless you tell him. He'll most likely find out sometime, though, now that his fiancée will have gone missing," House pointed out. Ali grasped one of her fiance's hands and a tear fell down her face.

"I never wanted this. Not like this," she whispered, her eyes glued on James's face. House sighed and headed for the hospital room door.

"You can't always get what you want," he said before leaving Ali alone with her thoughts. Only House could know how true that statement really was.

…

The office was dim with only one light glowing from his desk. House stood at the window, watching as two policemen brought Ali out of the hospital towards a police car, her arms restrained with handcuffs. He wondered if she ever told her fiance the truth and figured she probably didn't. _Everybody lies,_ he thought bitterly as he had many times before.

The office door creaked open and soft footsteps approached him, but he didn't turn to see who it was. He truly did not feel like talking to anyone, even if it was Wilson. The person came into view, leaning close beside him.

"House," Cameron's voice called to him. She was there, her eyes looking overly tired and her hair limp as it framed her face. Confusion swept over him as she smiled at him. If anything, she should still be angry with him.

"Why are you here?" The question came out harsher than he had meant it and Cameron flinched just a bit. She shrugged and stared out the window, catching sight of the commotion below.

"I wanted to apologize," she admitted in that calm, sweet voice of hers. He hated it when she became so…emotional. "What happened the other night wasn't your fault. I guess I expected something to go wrong, just like it has since I left," she explained. Her eyes bored into his and he found it hard to look away from her.

"Your point?" He refused to let her in too much, to let her see that there could be some type of emotion other than bitterness.

"My point…is that I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions. Ali spoke to me before she was escorted out of the hospital and she explained the situation," Cameron said. House imagined Ali admitting that she was in fact ill in some way and he couldn't quite see it. _I was right…again,_ he thought with satisfaction. "Anyway, I was hoping we could try again. Maybe we could make it work," she said with hope. House gazed down at Ali in the police car and frowned.

"I can't just make it work, Cameron. Eventually, I'm going to hurt you…again," he argued. He felt her come closer and move her hand across his face. He turned back to her and saw that there was a bright glow in her eyes.

"I refuse to believe that, House," she stated. "All I want is to try. And if that's all that you can give, then fine," she said, her eyes roaming over his face. He stared at her and then in one quick motion pulled her to him. Their lips met and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

In that one gesture, he gave her what he couldn't give her the night before. The two of them stayed behind in the office until late in the night, gazing out the window at the sky above while the rest of the world was peacefully sleeping. It might be true that you couldn't get what you want, but House found that if you try, you get what you need.

….

The End! So, did you guys enjoy it? I know it was short, but I never wanted it to be entirely long, either. Don't worry, though: I may have more House ideas for the future (though maybe not the near future…). By the way, if any of you are interested, I am writing my first Silent Hill fanfic that is based around Silent Hill 2 in James's point of view (in case any of you want to check it out). Other than that, I hope you all enjoyed this story and perhaps I'll see you next time, readers! (=


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